Marriage is hard. The first year of marriage is incredibly important for your future happiness. It’s a time to establish good patterns and ways of being together that should continue for the rest of your marriage.
Most married couples say that the first year of marriage is full of challenges. You will now have to learn how to work as a team. Here are some tips that might help you survive your first year of married life.
Respect
During the first year of marriage, you will get to know your partner really well. You’ll be living with each other under the same roof and there will be days that you just won’t agree with each other. There will even be days that you argue over very trivial things. But never forget to be respectful with each other. Treat each other with kindness no matter how upset you are.
If your partner is being very moody, try to lighten up a bit. Don’t go head on with each other and always keep your cool. Don’t bad mouth each other over every little misunderstanding. Remind yourself to be kind to your partner every day.
Keep having adventures
Post-wedding blues are very normal. After all the excitement of the wedding, it’s natural to feel a dip in your mood. But how can you keep that excitement in a marriage? Continue to have adventures with your spouse. Anthropologist and relationship expert Helen Fisher put it best when she wrote that “research shows that novelty — taking risks or trying something new — can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain. I’m not just talking about novelty in the bedroom (although that would be a good start). You can get the same effect from sampling a new type of cuisine together or riding the roller coaster at an amusement park.” Keep learning, growing and trying new things together.
Be open in your sexual life
Waiting for marriage to have sex isn’t nearly as common nowadays, so many couples have usually found a sexual rhythm before walking down the aisle. However, it’s still important to talk about what each person wants so no one is dissatisfied with the level of intimacy in the marriage.
It sounds strange, but there is a certain point in marriage where having sex comes easier than kissing. Take time to kiss your spouse every day, as couples who make time to smooch are less likely to get divorced. Don’t make it a quick peck as you’re rolling over to go to sleep; take a few seconds to kiss them properly and really mean it.
Date Night
Romance isn’t going nowhere. Don’t skip date nights! You’re now married and living together but it doesn’t mean you don’t need to go out to dinner or go for a walk in the park. If you’re both busy with work, try scheduling one day of the week where you can hang out and just date.